First Time Half - Marathoners.......

Good morning First Time Half - Marathoners!Tuesday:8 miles 1:10: 51 - 8:51 avg. pace - moderate 8:13 / 8:38 / 8:04 / 7:52 A.M. / AbRipper X II / 6 miles 58:30 - 9:45 avg. pace - recovery + 4xshort hill sprints P.M.My legs were so dead yesterday for my P.M. run I decided to try short hill sprints to shock them. I almost fell down on the 1st one but after that did just fine and perked up the remainder of my run. More easy miles today. Be cool.

I set out this morning to run 15k. excited that it wasn't raining, but it was a bit cold. I hadn't run in two days and it seemed to be effecting my mood. I started off great and felt great until about 6K then I started to get a side stitch that just wouldn't go away! ! I tried ignoring it and stretching, belching, walking, even jumping up and down to no avail! Every time I started back to running it would come back after a minute. I finally called my husband to pick me up at 8.5K something that I have never ever done! I felt bad not finishing my long run, but tomorrow is another day. I use to never get side stitches until the last couple of months. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does I can't get it to stop. I was convinced today that it happened because I didn't eat my banana before running, but I know it has to do with the diaphragm and not the stomach. Any suggestions on side stitches? They are so bad It hurt all the way into my shoulder.

Humidity is a killer. I live in a city where the average humidity is close to 80% (much higher in the morning), so you'd think I'd be used to it, but it's amazing how much better my runs are on drier days, it makes a huge difference!

kc_king - there's an article on RW online called "running on air" (I think that's the title), about a breathing rhythm that is supposed to help with side stitches, by not timing breaths with the same foot all the time. You should be able to search for it on the home page.

Sometimes the best thing is to go along for the ride. I joined a friend for a fun 5k run back in February. This lead to the discovery of my love for outdoor running but it's Seattle...cold, wet and at times windy. I was restricted to indoor running. The treadmill serves as a great tool for training and for early running before work. But the monotony of nothingness finally got to me. I finally went outdoor mid April and rediscover my joy for running. Love the wind, the cold and the views. Granted, they are just houses around my neighborhood but the things you discover on your run amazes you. You start to wonder why you never notice that or wow, this person spent that much time on their yard. Then there are the hills. Hills and rolling hills. The kind of hills that when you are in your car, increasing the foot pressure on the gas pedal is a must. At first it was intimidating. You start to think those hills are impossible. How can i possible survive those hills and continue? But then you conquered one and start to think...oh, that wasn't so bad. It became a habit as you repeat those hills. Next thing you know, you're running the biggest and longest hill you can find and the hill you were afraid you couldn't make up?..you just did. You can ride on that accomplishment sensation all day long because you and you alone did that. One little fun run with a friend turned into a habit turned passion. I'm looking forward to my HM in 29 days

Hello everyone! Congratulations to all our new first-time Half Marathoners and thank you to those who shared their first experiences. I enjoy reading everyone's recap and outlook on racing. So the good news is that I was able to successly complete my 2nd half in less than 2 weeks. Like JCDawnrunner- I was also one of over 21,000 runners at the Brooklyn Half Marathon this past Saturday. I am still in disbelief that I did it. I realize that every race is different and each race is a learning experience. At first my brain was so jumbled that I don't think I could form sentences to describe how I felt and now days later, it seems like such a long time ago. But here are some points I'd like to share.

Pre-race logistics were out of my control and led to some anxiety. Stayed over a friend's house the night before, depending on another friend to drive us to the start, had to find my friend Rachel for my bib. There were almost tears when we still hadn't found each other and the corrals were closing in minutes.

Running amongst SO many other runners- intimidating and exciting. I went in thinking that I just was going to run the race, not race it. Throughout the entire race, I kept going back and forth fighting with myself. There were so many times when I felt the urge to kick it into high gear and felt that competitive edge but I held back. Every time someone passed me, I would take a deep breath and see everyone is running their own race. Although I'd be a big fat liar if I said that somehow didn't wish that I'd somehow magically set a new PR. But in the end I am glad that I was conservative, because once again- and even worse this time- that last mile was a BITCH!!! I got very emotional and became weepy at one point, but sucked it up and kept on trucking along. I did not get the overwhelming adrenaline rush that I did at the end but did try one last decent effort. Overall time, 2:17:22

Even though I encounter hills on some of my routes, the hill in Prospect Park was felt. I could not see it, but felt it in my legs the entire time. Even though the sky was cloudy, the temps were a bit higher than my NJ race and it was definitely more humid. Interestingly enough, about 10-15 minutes after crossing, I became chilly as it was starting to get misty. There was absolutely no cell phone reception nearby, so I could not find my friend. I ended up walking back to her grandmother's house, because the line to buy a metrocard was insane. The walk probably did me good though. I took off of work on Sunday and I was sore- especially my thighs and going down stairs, but not as sore as I was from NJ.

I took one day off and have done slow 3 milers, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Already feeling the heat and humidity and wonder how it will effect my summer running. But I am at a point where I NEED to run, so I'll have to figure it out and not worry so much about pace- not that I ever did. I came up with a slogan based on John Bingham's penguin references- This penguin flies.

I am so happy that my training plan took me to 12 miles. I have read time and time again, about how 10 miles is the longest run in many training plans and I am sure that adrenanline and excitement gets you to through the next 3.1 miles, but mentally, I think I would die.

I am looking forward to my daughter's 5K with her FitGirl group and FoamFest. I also think I am going to sign up for Rugged Maniac in July. I continue to look forward to reading everyone's experience. Keep the good running up!!!

Mair - Great recap of the Brooklyn Half. Yeah, I think those hills in Prospect Park were deceptive too. I clearly remember someone in the crowd yelling "it's all downhill from here," before running another 4 or 5 hills. I think I took it a bit too fast as well (my first 5K split was much faster than the rest of them).

Hi all! Congratulations to all of you who have finished your half marathons! Wonderful stories! Inspiring! Mine is coming up in three weeks and I have a question about strategy.

Should I try to run the whole half marathon at the same pace, or should I run a little faster when in flat or downhill and a little slower when uphill?

The problem is that this particular half marathon is considered hard. The first 5 miles are flat and easy, the next 3-4 miles mostly uphill and the last 5 miles go up and down. So I am not sure if my aim should be to keep the same pace no matter if it is uphill or downhill, or to go with the flow.

Another question: is it a good a good idea to run the whole half marathon two weeks before the race? I mean the actual course. Perhaps 13.1 miles would be too much for me at this point, so I could just run the last 9 miles that are the hardest. Well, it is a little far from where I live, so I would prefer not too, but I am thinking that it may be helpful. I have already walked the whole course and I know what to expect, but I've never run there.

^^I'm guessing this is your 1st half? Even pace is the safest method. More experienced runners can take advantage of elevation loss and vary their pace but it's a gamble for someone w/o a lot of racing history behind them. What I would do is run by even effort, that way your pace will vary slightly but hopefully not too much. How much hill running have you done? Have all of your runs been at a stable pace or have you played around with running around tempo pace and then backed off the pace [30-50 sec./mile] while monitoring your recovery rate? This is basically what you'll be doing in the half. That fact that you've seen the course, know where the hills, how steep and the recovery off them is good enough.

A really good workout I use for my half marathons is 1000m repeats @ 10 sec./mile faster than half marathon pace [tempo pace] and a 600m "recovery" @ 20-50 sec./mile slower than half marathon pace. I usually do 5-8 [total 1600] repeats but you'd be doing less on your 1st attempt. This is a great workout as the 1000m segments get you into Vo2Max range the last 200m but instead of taking a normal [jog] rest interval you back off the effort very slightly and have to maintain a quick pace. The difference in effort will seem very slight and just as you're about to recover you launch into the next 1000m segment. The key to this workout isn't the fast portion but how quickly your body can process the lactate and recovery in time for the next fast segment. If you find the workout too tough you could reduce the 1000m to 800m.

I would say start out slow and easy. You don't want to burn up too much energy on the flat part at the start if you have hills to climb after 5 miles. Once you're over that big hill you can open up some if you feel good.

My first HM was just last week so I can speak from too much experience. Mine was up and down for 6 miles, then flat. I went out a bit too fast and didn't have enough to really run the flat as fast as I would like.

Better to have too much in the tank in the final few miles than not enough.

I also don't think you need to run the course. You might be temped to see how fast you can do it, which is risky this close to the race.

Mair, I am beginning to have the same thought you had about racing instead of just running. I know the goal for your first HM is just to finish, however, I did 12 miles yesterday with a pace of 10:52 which is about 20 seconds per mile quicker than my normal long distance pace and did it without struggling. Also, several of my recent 4 mile maintenance runs during the week have been very quick.

Yesterdays pace puts me at a little over 2:22. I have been training to finish at under 2:30. What would be a realistic goal of finishing? I am thinking, I know with the energy I will run quicker, and would LOVE to finish in 2:15, but am worried about going too quick...

Only my second post but I have read everything written on this board and the knowledge I acquired helped me maximize the enjoyment of my first Half Marathon this morning. Thank you all.

The Run to Remember - Boston

As a bit of background, my wife ran her seventh consecutive Boston Marathon this past April and my 13 year old daughter was sitting in the finish line bleachers when the explosions occuredd. The race, which is put on by the Boston Police Department, was dedicated to MIT Officer Sean Collier who was killed during the pursuit of the bombing suspects.

The race is mostly a blur. I was caught up in the excitement of the event, the spectators, and the amazing views of the city. Police from around the country lined the course and offered encouragement throughout. I wasn't worried about pace, I felt astonishingly strong throughout, and I have never had more fun during a run in my life.

Looking back at my Garmin, I ran a 1:52:28. I was thrilled by the time. I was hoping to break 2, and thought maybe I could do a bit better. My first two miles averaged about 10:30 per mile as I was caught up in the crowd. Once it thinned out a bit, I was running consistently between 8:10 and 8:20 until the last two miles where I managed to run under 8 minutes per mile.

I'm now back to the drawing board to find another race - I am officially hooked! I turn 50 in 6 weeks and this will hopefully help me deal better with my increasing age. Is the second one as much fun as the first?

Thanks again everybody for the support and advice. It is followed by more people than you know.

Oh I'm sure you all could! We don't give ourselves enough credit for what we are capable of

You are wise, Allyson.

Originally Posted by TurtleRunnerNC:

PR'd my 5K this morning! 32:02 I know it's not real fast but it is good for me! ! 4th in my age group too.

YAY!!!! That is AMAZING! Nice work. I have a 5K coming up in a couple of weeks and am hoping to PR too.

Originally Posted by Brycedaddy:

Mair, I am beginning to have the same thought you had about racing instead of just running. I know the goal for your first HM is just to finish, however, I did 12 miles yesterday with a pace of 10:52 which is about 20 seconds per mile quicker than my normal long distance pace and did it without struggling. Also, several of my recent 4 mile maintenance runs during the week have been very quick.

Yesterdays pace puts me at a little over 2:22. I have been training to finish at under 2:30. What would be a realistic goal of finishing? I am thinking, I know with the energy I will run quicker, and would LOVE to finish in 2:15, but am worried about going too quick...

I spent a lot of time thinking about this right before my first half. I think my posts here reflect that, but if they don't, I definitely wrote to a bunch of friends who are more experienced runners to try and figure out what my pace should be at different points in time, how to race rather than run, etc. I ultimately decided to challenge myself within reason knowing that this was merely the first in what I hope to be a long series of half marathons in my future. What that meant for my particular race was going out slow and speeding up each consecutive mile, keeping in mind that there were hills through mile 5, so I had to conserve energy there. I ended the race feeling like I had done really well, and also like I probably could pace it better in the future, some day when I know more about my body and pacing. I bold that, because it's easy to think "I could have run that mile faster, etc." and I definitely had a few of those, but I don't have the experience right now to know what a faster mile 7 would have done to mile 11, so, I just went with it, and pushed myself by feel. It worked for me, and I exceeded my goal.

I also got a lot of confidence from passing people on the back end. I have found that is true in the few races I have ryn. I get way more nervous getting passed in the last mile than the first mile. And it makes me feel strong, and like I can come out faster the next time. I plan on there being lots of next times, so I try to keep myself in that place mentally.

Again, whatever works for you! You've already won with all the training you've done.

Originally Posted by codamasa:

Only my second post but I have read everything written on this board and the knowledge I acquired helped me maximize the enjoyment of my first Half Marathon this morning. Thank you all.

The Run to Remember - Boston

As a bit of background, my wife ran her seventh consecutive Boston Marathon this past April and my 13 year old daughter was sitting in the finish line bleachers when the explosions occuredd. The race, which is put on by the Boston Police Department, was dedicated to MIT Officer Sean Collier who was killed during the pursuit of the bombing suspects.

The race is mostly a blur. I was caught up in the excitement of the event, the spectators, and the amazing views of the city. Police from around the country lined the course and offered encouragement throughout. I wasn't worried about pace, I felt astonishingly strong throughout, and I have never had more fun during a run in my life.

Looking back at my Garmin, I ran a 1:52:28. I was thrilled by the time. I was hoping to break 2, and thought maybe I could do a bit better. My first two miles averaged about 10:30 per mile as I was caught up in the crowd. Once it thinned out a bit, I was running consistently between 8:10 and 8:20 until the last two miles where I managed to run under 8 minutes per mile.

I'm now back to the drawing board to find another race - I am officially hooked! I turn 50 in 6 weeks and this will hopefully help me deal better with my increasing age. Is the second one as much fun as the first?

Thanks again everybody for the support and advice. It is followed by more people than you know.

AWESOME, AWESOME job!!!! I was helping out at this race this AM and it was one of the most fantastic experiences I've ever had. Watching wave after wave of runner come through, from all walks of life, with Collier's number on the back was amazing. Congrats to you on finishing with such a spectacular time!

Originally Posted by MothAudio:

A really good workout I use for my half marathons is 1000m repeats @ 10 sec./mile faster than half marathon pace [tempo pace] and a 600m "recovery" @ 20-50 sec./mile slower than half marathon pace. I usually do 5-8 [total 1600] repeats but you'd be doing less on your 1st attempt. This is a great workout as the 1000m segments get you into Vo2Max range the last 200m but instead of taking a normal [jog] rest interval you back off the effort very slightly and have to maintain a quick pace. The difference in effort will seem very slight and just as you're about to recover you launch into the next 1000m segment. The key to this workout isn't the fast portion but how quickly your body can process the lactate and recovery in time for the next fast segment. If you find the workout too tough you could reduce the 1000m to 800m.

This workout looks awesome. As always, I have learned something from you MA. Thank you!

Nick, I'd listen to Moth. He knows what he's talking about.

As for me, I spent this week after my first half doing two things: Easy miles and signing up for a second half. Wed - 3.25, Thurs - 4.08, Sat - 3.45, Sun - 7.19. Today's run was particularly awesome. I decided to ignore my watch for a bit and just run by feel. The end of the run was a little faster than long run pace, but still felt easy (talk test was fine, etc.) I was rewarded today with a 7.19 mile easy run with the following splits: 10:23, 9:45, 9:42, 9:19, 9:22, 9:21, 9:09. Nice way to end a recovery week. Next week my miles are going to higher, hopefully close to 25 again. And then I'll start cautiously building miles for my next half. I would LOVE to be at right around 40 miles a week, including some speed work by September. Sub 2:00, here I come.

Hi everyone! I am a fairly new runner; began last July. I have run 3- 5k's (29:32, 28:54, 30:21) and am strongly contemplating running a half marathon in September. My friend, who has already completed 3 half marathons, has asked me to run with her. I have not registered yet as I am nervous if I will be able to do this. I have begun a training program and last weekend ran 6.15 miles for my long run...(I walked a little here and there). I plan on trying for 7 miles tomorrow.

I have enjoyed reading these posts. It is giving me more confidence to register.

I guess what is holding me back is my time. My friend has been running for years and runs faster than I do. I don't want to feel I have to keep up with her. If I undertake this challenge, I will be running it with the mentality of just finishing.

I am with slcathena on what she said. Think the race is the time to go for it and figure a 10-15 minute improvement over your best long run is a target that you should expect to achieve. You can go a minute a mile faster than your best long run, (after your warm up start) and then see how you feel after a few miles. You might be amazed how much the taper, the carb load and the excitment helps you. If you do not feel good after few miles of faster running you can always slow down a little and recover. If you do feel good then you can probably carry that feeling till mile 10 or 11 and just tough out the finish. But before the race try and run some miles at this faster speed. If you can carry 4/5 miles at this faster speed you might be able to run it on race day. I know they tell you to just finish your first HM or your first Marathon but think that if you have a sense of how good you feel and have some budding confidence then it make sense to try and run better on race day than you ever have in training. Also think if you have toughed out a few long runs when you felt crappy and still ran well, then that is further reason to be confident on race day. What will happen is that you will just run, your body will tell you what to do, yes for sure work out the times and think about it, but if you body says go then go.

Hi Brycedaddy! There were 2 things that helped me meet my goal time for NJ- and ultimately exceed it. The Long Branch 1/2 had official pacers. When we first started I was behind the 2:45 pacer. Little by little, I kept passing pacers looking for the 2:25 pacer. I never saw them but the last one I passed was 2:20 and never saw them again. I also printed myself a pacing bracelet using negative splits, starting slow, finishing fast and strong. I used mymarathonpace.com - it was really helpful for me. With NJ I exceeded my expectations, in Brooklyn, while I still beat the 2:25 goal, I did not PR. Based on your training times, 2:15 is not only a unattainable goal but I'd bet you crush that time! Looking forward to hearing about your race!!!

wow you picked a tough one. There are a couple of things I would say. First is that i would run the 4-5 mile uphill segment in a practice run and pick up a time estimate from that. No need to run the entire route but that uphill seems pretty important. If I was in your shoes I would be wanting to know how it felt and how fast to run that segment.

On speed of uphills and downhills. What I did was I let people pass me in the uphills. I did what moth said and tried to keep an even effort. But I really thought it was hard to do because the people around me did not do that, they all seemed to work harder on the up hills. Plus when it turned downhill I found it was easy to pass them and recoup the ground. I sort of picked someone going fast un the uphill and watched for them on the downhill and caught up. Now it worked for me because I think it fit my strength as I have pretty big legs. What I have read is that downhills hurt you a lot if you legs are not that strong. So again think it needs some testing. But it sounds like your downhills are at the end of the race so not as key as the uphills which have the potential to wear you out.

The other thing to think about is how fast to go the first mile. I think this is very important and takes some sense of how you run naturally. For me I always run better if I start slowly. But slowly is only 15 seconds a mile slower than the pace I have planned for the given run. I just need a little warm up to be able to feel good. Hopefully you know a little about how you need to start to feel your best.

I think in your case you want to really be sure you are ready to race the last section after the climb. Think you want to feel good and have fun rather than slog it out after a taxing up hill climb. Perhaps imagine picking up the speed after the uphill section. Imagine passing people through that part. So save something. Just thinking more about the fun of it than the actual time because 5 miles is a long slog if you are worn out.

Yeah I would not even run the entire 9 miles in practice as better to have a flat long run i think and try and run the uphill section in a midweek (non long run day). If it is easy to get to you could run the uphill section one day and the up/down section on another day. (or even walk it with runs on the downhills parts)

Allyson - so so true. We really don't give ourselves credit for what we can do. Just look at all the success stories on this thread!

bonmar - your 5k times are nothing to be ashamed of... what was your time for your 6 mile run? I would absolutely say yes to registering for a HM, it's a great goal to work towards. Ask your friend if she minds running slower to run it with you. 2 years ago, I had a friend run my first 10k with me, even though he had to run at a much slower pace than was normal for him and we both had a wonderful time!

codamasa - great job, way to shatter that two hour goal

slc, blake, mair, thank you so very much for the great encouragement!! You are all wonderful....

I am absolutely confident now (as if I wasn't before ) to race a great race next weekend. I just checked the course site, about the only real elevation hike is from around mile 10.5 to around mile 12, and it really isn't even that much of a change!! One sort of sad note though - currently there are only 844 racers.

I ran a 10K yesterday, and I'm soooo happy. I thought I would never be able to do a sub-60 10K. my previous times were 63:30, 67:04 and 63:38.

After taking training a little more seriously during the last month, I finished my race in 56:51! I still can't believe it. Here are my splits:

km pace

1 5:31

2 5:37

3 5:35

4 5:35

5 5:33

6 5:40

7 5:40

8 5:49

9 5:37

10 5:38

.12 5:10

I started a little too fast, and couldn't really hold that pace during the second half of the race, but I'm still learning to know myself and my ideal paces. It's one of the biggest challenges in racing.

Anyway, I feel more confident now about my HM in September, knowing that some of the barriers are only mental.

edit: just to clarify, the pace is in min/km, I'm a metric kind of girl

congratulations to everyone on their running new races, distances and times!!! Great job. The spring has helped everyone get their running on!

I have had a slow week of running due to bad weather and a cold, but today I ran three times! Lesson 11 with my husband start to run, 7k alone and then lesson 2 start to run with my daughter. Struggling a bit with piriformis syndrome again! It has been an on going problem for three years now and just never goes away! oh well... I keep plugging away and I'm sure it will start feeling better soon.

Well I happily finished my first Half yesterday. Couldn't have asked for nicer weather. 3C at the start with clear blue skies and no wind. I finished 14 minutes faster than my goal, coming in with an official chip time of 2:11:10 and couldn't be happier with that. I even broke my 10k PR by 3.5 minutes during the last 10k of the race. Good luck and congrats to everyone else!

Attachments

Happy Memorial Day! Sunday: 8 miles 1:11:56 - 8:56 avg. pace - moderate [3 miles @ steady state - 7:56 pace] A.M. / 8 miles 1:20:09 - 10:01 avg. pace - recovery P.M. Scheduled rest day from running, instead cookout is scheduled along with a mile race for the boys this morning. Went over 1000 miles for the year last week. Thank you to all that have served to protect our freedom.

Wondering if you can help me decide if I'm doing too much. I'm training for HM which is on 6-22. I just completed a 13.16 miles run on Wednesday. My time was 2:30:39. This Sunday is Race for the Cure 5K run. I also have a 12K lined up for next Saturday 6-8 related to work fundraising. I have 3 weeks until the half. Is this too long without a long run? I asked this because I'm also training for Seattle to Portland bike ride and have a 66 miles ride scheduled for this Saturday. Not sure if I'm being too ambitious. I did a 12miler on Saturday then a 13.16miler this Wednesday. My legs feel fine.

So you already have the distance, those other races wont cause you to lose that I do not think,

Perhaps you can look at weds as your long run day from now until 10 days before your race. If you could hit 10 miles on weds then you should be fine. Provided your comments on feeling fine stand up. If you run 4 days/week for the next week or two you wont lose your stanima. Your 5k race may not be your fatest time given the bike ride but looks like you do not mind that.

The 12k race would be good to go all out on, you might want to take two days off or light recovery runs and then you should be able to go well with a 10 miler on the weds. Think that 12k race will give you some improvement for your HM so long as you let yourself repair from it before you subsequent hard hard. Bravo on your last run, that is pretty terrific. Be sure to get your protein after your hard efforts, especially the races.

JFKgirl, i think as. Long as. Your legs are feeling fine then you are not. Doing. Too much. I. Would try to stick to the rest of your training plan and make sure you get some rest in there. Good luck with. All your Races!

Sorry. About all. Theperiods and capitols, my ipad is actinG. up.

i set out for an. Easy 3 mile run yesterday, but hadn't done any long runs for a couple of weeks. The weather was beautiful and i had the time so. I ran 9 miles it was a. Very slow. Pace, but it was nice. I had my gps in my. Pocket, but turned off. All announcements about. Pace and splits and music! Listened to the birds and crickets instead! Going for a bike ride today. I. Have a woman's only. Sprint triathlon Saturday and I haven't. Been on my bike in weeks!

Good morning First Time Half - Marathoners!Sunday:14 miles 2:13:51 - 9:34 avg. pace - 4 mile progression 8:18 / 7:52 / 7:41 / 7:25 - 7:49 avg. pace. Encountered some tenderness in my left ankle after Friday's run, elected to skip my evening run and took Saturday off. Didn't even think I'd run yesterday but ended up doing 14. Ankle not only felt much better but Sunday's run was very encouraging. It proved to me the extra miles have bolstered my endurance and I'm now able to push the pace a bit more than I thought possible. Really wanted to do a double but I'm saving it for today. For the moment I'm enjoying my coffee and the French Open coverage. Have a great start to your week!

Hey everyone! Looks like everyone's training is going well! I have 19 days until my half!!! Can't wait for it!! The town is already buzzing about how great it's going to be and getting ready! I ran 12 miles yesterday in 2:03. I had a pace of 9:55 for the first 6 miles which is right where I want to be for the race, but then had to fight the wind on the way back. The training schedule that I'm following calls for a 13 mile run on sunday. Is it too soon between long runs if I move this up to friday? Also this is the last really long run, except for a 7 miler on the sunday before the race, and then taper! It will be strange just going out to run 3 miles again, when before that was my long run!

I was a member of the forums probably five or more years ago. I kept running off and on since--more off in recent years. But I live in (well very near) Boston and the marathon events served to motivate me to get more serious about running again. I did the run to remember too--but just the five mile option. I'm doing the BAA 10K in a few weeks (can't wait to get a BAA shirt!!) and signed up for a half in October. My longest distance in my life was a 10k--I did the Tufts 10K about 5 times, the last time was probably 4-5 years ago. The five mile went well--47:20--I was pleased, and it felt good. But I know I will need lots of support to do the half! I turn 40 next year and I'm excited about being a super fit 40!

So you already have the distance, those other races wont cause you to lose that I do not think,

Perhaps you can look at weds as your long run day from now until 10 days before your race. If you could hit 10 miles on weds then you should be fine. Provided your comments on feeling fine stand up. If you run 4 days/week for the next week or two you wont lose your stanima. Your 5k race may not be your fatest time given the bike ride but looks like you do not mind that.

The 12k race would be good to go all out on, you might want to take two days off or light recovery runs and then you should be able to go well with a 10 miler on the weds. Think that 12k race will give you some improvement for your HM so long as you let yourself repair from it before you subsequent hard hard. Bravo on your last run, that is pretty terrific. Be sure to get your protein after your hard efforts, especially the races.

Thank you Blake. My 5K time was an improvement from my first 5K time, which is exactly what I wanted. I could've done better if there was no bike ride the day before but it had to be done. I did a slow 5K run this morning and plan to do a 10miler Wednesday before the 12K this Saturday. I thought about goind all out on the 12K too but the course is hillier than the one I've been training on so we will see. So after the 12K, I should do a 10miler on Wednesday and that would be my last LR? My training plan calls for a 2 weeks taper with 8 miles 2 weeks before and 5 miles the week before. This will be hard for me. Thank you for all the advise.

I was preparing myself to do a women's triathlon in the Netherlands on Saturday. I had booked my hotel and made preparations for my daughters and pets and was really excite because this is the third year I have signed up for it, but the last two years I couldn't go because of an injury two years ago and a house fire last year.... well I guess the Women's triathlon and I are just not meant to be! I went to get a small fleck removed from my arm yesterday and the Dr thinks it is melanoma and had to cut a deep incision in my arm to remove it. It doesn't hurt, but I have been forbidden to swim and even heavily sweat for two weeks! No running, swimming or biking! So frustrating when my running is back on track and the weather is getting nice!!! Next week the results come back. I am hoping it turns out to be a benign cyst. Well... enjoy your running everyone and DON'T FORGET THE SUN SCREEN!!!!!!

I haven't posted in a while... I was targeting the Brooklyn Half Marathon (all signed up and everything!) but a lingering foot issue forced me to rethink my plans. I'd been a little whiny and self-pitying about it so I avoided the forums altogether

My foot started to bother me in late March, and then after a 10-mile at the beginning of April I saw a physical therapist who determined my foot problems were more extensive than I and the doctor had thought -a sprained ligament, a little tendonitis, a little plantar fasciitis - good times, good times.

So, I took 5 full weeks off and am now getting back into it, slowly but surely, increasing a half mile at a time. My first several runs have felt horrible - hard to believe I ran 10 miles just 2 months ago!! It feels like starting completely over. But yesterday I had a 3-mile run that actually felt GOOD. It was such a relief and I'm excited to get back out there tomorrow morning.

I'm now targeting the Philly Half, November 17. That gives me about 12 weeks to build back up, and then 12 weeks to train (using Hal Higdon's Novice 2). I'm hyper-paranoid about hurting my foot again but I'm trying not to focus on every little twinge and ache.

The *only* blessing in this is I had felt like I wasn't training as well as I could earlier this year. So, now I've learned my lesson, and will make sure I get up to 4 runs per week in plus do yoga regularly. Call it my Mid-Year's Resolution

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